We said it going into the 2026 season, and the league is proving it to be true: This is one of the deepest fields of quarterbacks we've seen in a long time.
The NFL has some outstanding quarterback play through the first two weeks of the season, and not only are the biggest stars in the league shining bright, but some of the up and coming players are making a great early impression as well.
Week 2 was absolutely loaded with intriguing action at the quarterback position. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough continues to prove he belongs in the top-20 conversation. Bryce Young might be the most slept-on QB in the NFL right now. Patrick Mahomes is back in a big way. Josh Allen looks unstoppable.
Unfortunately, we've also got some rough performances to critique. What's going on with Aaron Rodgers? Is Drake Maye broken? There are also some unfortunate injuries to unpack, including the Bears and Commanders losing Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. We're ranking all 32 starting quarterbacks in our latest NFL QB Power Rankings with Week 2 coming to a close.
NFL QB Power Rankings: Patrick Mahomes skyrocketing in Week 2, Aaron Rodgers free-falling
32. Cooper Rush, Atlanta Falcons:
Last week: 31st
At this rate, the Atlanta Falcons will take Matt Ryan coming down from the front office and throwing on a set of shoulder pads. The quarterback position has officially gotten to a “break glass in case of emergency” state.
Cooper rush threw a pair of interceptions against the Carolina Panthers, and was benched in favor of preseason star Jack Strand. On the first pass attempt after Strand took over, he threw a pick-six.
At this rate, one of Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. can’t get back fast enough. The Falcons desperately need it. They are at a disadvantage simply by having one of Rush or Strand out there at this point.
It would be a shocker if we saw Rush again this season, and even more shocking if he’s on the Falcons’ roster much longer. He won’t likely be making many more appearances in our NFL QB Power Rankings.
31. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Last week: 30th
Malik Willis showed off his elite arm talent on a 77-yard touchdown pass in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Unfortunately for both he and the Dolphins, that touchdown pass came when the 49ers had a 35-6 lead late in the 4th quarter. Stil, it was Willis’s first touchdown throw with Miami, and he’s shown some decent things while clearly being on a very obvious rebuilding squad.
Here’s the biggest problem I had with the way the Dolphins utilized Willis in Week 2: He had just two carries for six yards. Even though teams are going to try their best to take away his ability to run, the Dolphins need to design a lot more plays to get Willis’s legs involved.
If they can do that going forward, I actually think he’s going to start to steadily rise up this list. He’s checking in near the bottom right now, but let’s see what he can do as he gets more and more comfortable in the offense.
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